logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
17m 43s

The cost of Valencia’s floods

Bbc World Service
About this episode

At the end of October 2024, deadly flash floods and torrential rain hit the Valencia region of Spain. More than 220 people were killed.

As well as claiming lives, the disaster also devastated livelihoods.

Valencia's chamber of commerce estimates that 48,000 companies have been affected.

Ashish Sharma visited the region shortly after the flooding, to speak to businesses and workers affected.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Produced and presented by Ashish Sharma

(Image: Residents clean up a mud-and-debris-covered street after flooding hit large parts of the country on October 31, 2024 in the Paiporta municipality of Valencia, Spain. Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Oct 9
Business Daily meets: Fani Titi, Investec CEO
The South African grew up under the racist apartheid system as one of 14 children. He looked set for a life in farming, until a chance event took him down a different path – ultimately becoming CEO of the multinational banking group, Investec. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: El ... Show More
17m 27s
Oct 8
Small country: Big tariffs
We head to Switzerland, a small but very successful country with a population of just 9 million.And now coping with some of US President Donald Trump’s highest tariffs. In August the original threat of 31% tariffs was raised to 39%. Two months on, efforts to negotiate with Washin ... Show More
17m 30s
Oct 7
Should we expect more airline delays?
Passengers are suffering more disruption as technology at airports, airlines and air traffic control is failing.But why is aviation software becoming more prone to failure and vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and what is the solution to preventing delays?Presented and produced by Rus ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
After deadly floods, Spain faces a political storm
The deadly floods in Spain have revealed a deeper crisis, as public outrage grows over government mismanagement in Valencia. With mud-slinging at the king and queen, protesters demanding the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazon, and now thousands evacuated in Malaga, how w ... Show More
17m 52s
Jan 2025
When disaster strikes: On the ground amid LA wildfires
Wildfires have forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes in the Los Angeles area, and killed at least 24 people. In what will likely be the most costly disaster in U.S. history, thousands of homes and businesses have been lost. In a special edition of Rapid Response ... Show More
30m 24s
Feb 2025
Crue montante (Rising flood)
De fortes précipitations ont provoqué des inondations importantes dans l'Ouest de la France, touchant des milliers de foyers et perturbant les transports. Traduction: Heavy rainfall caused major flooding in Western France, affecting thousands of households and disrupting transpor ... Show More
4m 7s
Jul 2024
The Man Who Flooded San Diego [VIDEO]
In January 1916, San Diego, California was hit by a deadly flood. Nobody had foreseen just how catastrophic the storms would be… including the City Council, who’d just hired the renowned “rainmaker” Charles Hatfield to fill the Morena dam with rainwater. Conspiracy Theories is no ... Show More
36 m
Aug 26
Front Yard Floods
Frequent floods blight the poorest neighbourhoods of New Orleans but the residents are fighting back, one yard at a time. Physicist Helen Czerski joins the team behind the Front Yard Initiative as they strive to keep the Big Easy safe and dry, 20 years after the devastation of Hu ... Show More
24m 40s
Aug 23
Another Take: Why hasn't Pakistan recovered from its catastrophic floods?
Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on February 22, 2023. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Pakistan is still reeling from 2022’s deadly floods, which put a third of the country underwater. Tho ... Show More
20m 45s
May 2023
West Coast to be hammered by rain today
The Westland region of the South Island is bracing for a deluge of heavy rain today and the mayor is asking residents to be ready. Metservice has issued a severe weather warning for Westland, with up to 400mm of rain expected in the ranges. [picture id="4M68XL6_image_crop_127880" ... Show More
3m 43s
Feb 2023
Cyclone Gabrielle: Emergeny alert in Gisborne as water fails
The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle has risen to eight and is expected to climb. Gisborne residents have been told to use water only for drinking and flushing the toilet due to a failure in a water treatment plant. But the navy has arrived this afternoon with supplies. Emergenc ... Show More
4m 58s
Jun 2017
'Please Baba don't go out'
Photojournalist Mohammed is risking everything to document the effects of war in Yemen. Based in the capital city Sana'a, his work began in 2011 when the country was hit by a series of anti-government protests. More recently the country has faced a cholera epidemic that has kille ... Show More
14m 22s